Robert (Bob) Joseph Cochran

Greensboro, NC: Robert (Bob) J. Cochran was born in Pontotoc, Mississippi to William Morrow Cochran and Hazel Hodges Cochran. He grew up and attended school in Memphis. Always a worker he had a paper route when he was 12 and loved to give his Mom gifts from his pay. Bob graduated from Memphis Central High School where he played on the Varsity football team. After losing a promised football scholarship to Georgia Tech because of a knee injury, he became the Band Manager where he excelled in keeping them an award winning band.

Bob served in the US Air Force at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi where he taught enlisted men, officers and pilots about radar and when they would go to sleep in his class he would throw chalk at them! He also began learning and working on a long career in computers which began in 1963 when he started work for Burroughs Corp. He and ML (Mary Lillian) were married in Memphis in 1962 and they had just celebrated their 50th anniversary on April 21.

Bob was the ultimate computer expert and spent many hours working with government agencies such as GSA, Department of Defense and ATF. In Memphis Bob was a part of the groundwork for the technology for the FedEX operation. He also worked on the technology for cancer research at Memphis Methodist Hospital. He was so patient in training people in data processing and solving problems at all times. Bob worked with Burroughs Corporation/ Unisys Corporation for almost 25 years. After beginning consultation work, he and ML moved to Greensboro, NC to be close to the girls and grandkids.

He leaves behind many wonderful family members and friends who he loved in his own quiet way. He leaves his wife, Mary Lillian Sink Cochran. His pride and joy were his two girls, Holly Cochran Ruch and Brooke Cochran Reittinger both of Greensboro. Very special to him were his grandchildren, John (Jack) Cochran, Claire Finlay Ruch and Grant Franklin Ruch and their Dad, George F. Ruch and his brand new son in law Christopher J. Reittinger.

A visitation with the family will be Friday from 4:30 to 6:30 at the Hanes-Lineberry Funeral Home, 515 N. Elm St., Greensboro, NC 27401. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association or New Garden Friends School.

On line condolences may be made to www.haneslineberryfuneralhomes.com